Wellness Mentoring Circles for Young People: A Guide for Facilitators and Mentors

Description of Resource:

This resource, provided by Concerned Black Men National’s CARES Mentoring Movement, was originally designed for use in their Wellness Mentoring Circles. It offer groups of young people an opportunity to learn about important aspects of their development, reflect on their experiences with the world around them, and receive support from peers and mentors that can promote healthy behaviors, problem-solving, and general well-being.

The guide is built around a series of guided activities, intended to be led by a facilitator and team of mentors, who take a single-gender group of youth through discussions on meaningful topics: mentoring, heritage, spirituality, stress, wellness, relationships, media, creativity, prosperity, and community.

Tips for successful facilitation of Wellness Mentoring Circles, as well as a “covenant” for youth participants, are also provided, along with ready-to-use discussion starters and worksheets.

Goals:

Supporting the successful development of African American youth by providing safe group environments for the exploration of feelings, personal history, and challenges, with an emphasis on moving youth to a brighter future.

Target Population/Eligibility of Target Sites:

The content is intended for use with a primarily African American audience, although many of the activities may be able to be adapted for use with other groups of youth. The material is most applicable to group mentoring models or classroom-level interventions.

Corresponding Elements of Effective Practice:

Monitoring and Support

Key Personnel:

The groups are intended to have both a facilitator and multiple mentors leading the activities. In view of the potential sensitivity of the topics that are explored, as well as the oftentimes challenging interpersonal dynamics that accompany a group mentoring format, the NMRC strongly recommends that facilitators have appropriate professional training and experience in a relevant field (e.g., social work). Training and ongoing support for mentors is also highly recommended. More information about group mentoring can be found here.

Additional Information:

The guide recommends that facilitators and mentors read the CBM Cares resource A New Way Forward: Healing What's Hurting Black America, as a starting point so that they better understand the philosophy behind these activities.

Resource Name:

Wellness Mentoring Circles for Young People: A Guide for Facilitators and Mentors

References:

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